Mike Fine: Beckett is simply the best pitcher on the planet

Mike Fine

Thursday

Oct 25, 2007 at 12:01 AMOct 25, 2007 at 8:33 PM

Listen, we can spin this thing any way we'd like. We can say Josh Beckett was charged up because of the Fenway Park atmosphere, because it's the World Series, because the Colorado Rockies had won 10 straight games, and 21 of 22 for that matter, and that the Red Sox right-hander wanted to put them in their place.

Listen, we can spin this thing any way we'd like. We can say Josh Beckett was charged up because of the Fenway Park atmosphere, because it's the World Series, because the Colorado Rockies had won 10 straight games, and 21 of 22 for that matter, and that the Red Sox right-hander wanted to put them in their place.

The fact is, and we all know this already, that Beckett just went out and pitched like a Cy Young winner -- not that he's won anything yet. Beckett simply is the best pitcher on the planet right now, having won each of his four postseason starts, and seven of his past eight games overall, because he just goes out and pitches. No big secret. It's just preparation and routine and doing things the right way, not to mention having an arm that throws a baseball 60 feet like a Howitzer could lob a 155-milimeter shell a mile away.

"I mean, you just try to stay the same," said Beckett after his seven-inning, six-hit, one-run performance that anchored a startling 13-1 Game 1 victory. "You go out there and execute pitch by pitch and don't try to get ahead of yourself."

Granted, Beckett had some heavy support, starting with Dustin Pedroia's leadoff home run and a 17-hit barrage that left Rockies ace Jeff Francis stunned to the tune of six runs on 10 hits in only four innings. The Red Sox offense was punishing, scoring seven fifth-inning runs to put it away early, and Beckett just went out and did the thing that has made him a star.

In four postseason games the veteran has given up four runs in 30 innings, allowing 11 hits while striking out 35 and walking two. His ERA is 1.20.

"He's just a guy with such good stuff," said Mike Lowell, who was Beckett's teammate when he (Beckett) won the World Series MVP for his work for the Marlins in 2003. "It seems like he's executing all his pitches. On a stage where everything is scrutinized, it seems like his execution is so much more precise. I saw it in '03, and that (Wednesday) was the best I've ever seen from a pitcher. That's as dominating as he's been. I'm really happy he's on my team."

The six hits he allowed to the stunned Rockies were a playoff high. He opened the playoffs with a complete-game shutout of the Angels and then opened the ALCS with a four-hit, two-run effort over the Indians. He was lifted after six innings and 80 pitches only because the Sox, who won, 10-2, were so far ahead. He came back to pitch Game 5 and beat C.C. Sabathia-his chief Cy Young rival-yet again, allowing five hits and one run. He faltered, a bit, allowing a walk for the first time in the playoffs, but he did strike out 11. It wasn't enough to keep him from winning the ALCS MVP award.

Confidence would appear to be off the charts. "Obviously, it would be strong," said catcher Jason Varitek. "He hasn't had easy matchups." Twice against Sabathia, once against John Lackey, and this one against Francis, who beat him in June, the springboard for a 17-9 season.

"I made pitches when I needed to execute them," he said, adding something about great defense, yadda yadda yadda. Let's face it, there was no special defense played in this one. Beckett and the offense simply overwhelmed what has to be considered a rusty Rockies roster, which had been out of action for eight days. But nobody really knows if that was a factor.

Beckett had been beaten by this team earlier in the season, bringing a 9-0 start to an end. He said he didn't even study those game tapes at length, though. "I try not to harp on negative things."

This, of course, was exactly what the Red Sox were looking for in the opener of a World Series, on their own field. They got off to a great start, with two first-inning runs, en route to a third straight double-digit offensive evening. In their last four games they've outscored Cleveland and Colorado, 43-6.

"When you score 10 runs and with our staff, I like our chances of winning," said rookie Jacoby Ellsbury, who started his first Series game. "It's a good time to do it."

"You're just trying to get outs," Beckett said. "In the first inning you're trying to get your guys back in there. They're anxious and ready to go, ready to swing the bats."

Nothing's written in stone here. In 1996 the Atlanta Braves defeated the Yankees, 12-1, in Game 1 of the World Series, and took the second game, 4-0, both at Yankee Stadium. Then the Yankees came on to win the final four games of the Series. The Rockies, though, are not the '96 Yankees, and for all their success in sweeping into the playoffs, the Sox would appear to have the upper hand.

The '96 Braves didn't have an offense that produced the most runs ever in a Game 1. Nor did the Braves set any Series records such as stroking nine doubles. The Braves also didn't have Josh Beckett, who will be ready to pitch a Game 5. No starting pitcher has ever won five postseason games.

"We're not done and he's not done," said manager Terry Francona. "He's been huge for us, and to win you have to have guys like that. Every time we've gone to him he's given us a great outing, and we certainly hope that continues."

The Patriot Ledger

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.